Accuser in Cebu drug case ‘missing’

CEBU CITY — Manuel Ortega, who accused former Customs collector David Odilao Jr. and Customs lawyer Paul Alcazaren of brokering a 61-kilo cocaine deal in 1995, is missing.

The disappearance of Ortega, a former member of the now defunct Philippine Constabulary, forced the regional prosecutor’s office to cancel its preliminary investigation of the allegations yesterday.

Regional state prosecutor Hernado Masangkay was scheduled to preside over a meeting among Ortega, Odilao, Alcazaren and Rep. Antonio Cuenco, chairman of the House committee on dangerous drugs.

It was to the committee of Cuenco, which conducted hearings in Cebu the other week on a different drug issue involving businessman Peter Lim and his brother Wellington, that NBI Regional Director Anthony Liongson submitted the affidavit of Ortega outlining his charges.

Curiously, Liongson himself shot down the affidavit the following day, saying Ortega had lied.

Odilao and Alcazaren, on the other hand, subsequently sued Ortega for libel and perjury.

Masangkay called the meeting yesterday on the request of Cuenco who wanted assistance in determining if there was probable cause to hold another congressional inquiry based on the allegations of Ortega.

With the disappearance of Ortega, Masangkay said he could not proceed with the preliminary investigation, declaring that the testimony of Ortega is very vital to the process.

Cuenco was disappointed by the disappearance of Ortega, saying he could have confronted him about the affidavit he executed before the NBI.

Members of the Ortega family and his friends in V. Rama said Ortega had been gone for already four days but no one apparently took the time to report the matter to the police.

Lilia, a sister of Ortega, did not appear alarmed, saying the family has gotten used to Ortega’s not coming home for days.

Odilao attributed Ortega’s disappearance to his belief that the whistle-blower had lied.

"Ortega is now afraid to confront us face to face," Odilao said.

Ortega executed his affidavit with the NBI on Nov. 14 and alleged that Odilao, Alcazaren and Mark Weigel, the eldest son of former Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Ernest Weigel, smuggled 61 kilos of cocaine thru the Mactan International Airport in 1995.

But less than 24 hours after Liongson gave the Ortega affidavit to Cuenco, he cleared both Odilao and Alcazaren and that Weigel was never in the report.

Liongson said he cleared Odilao and Alcazaren because of what Ortega said, that one of the Chinese nationals to whom they allegedly delivered the cocaine at the Midtown Hotel tested the drug by simply tasting it.

He said that is forensically impossible. — Freeman News Services